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How Every App Developer Helps Defend Android And iOS Against A Smartphone Revolution

You can work on your alternative mobile operating system as much as you like, you can throw money at the sales teams and the developers, and you can publicly state you are going to take on the incumbents. It doesn’t matter. When it comes down to it, Android and iOS are two of the most defensible computing platforms on the planet because they have won the hearts and minds of the developer community.

In yesterday’s interview with The Wall Street Journal, Huawei’s consumer business group Richard Yu was asked about their choice of operating systems for smartphones. Specifically why go with Android and remain beholden to Google’s, rather than alternatives? Because Huawei has lost money in the last two years manufacturing Windows Phone handsets (“it has been difficult to persuade consumers to buy a Windows phone. It wasn’t profitable for us”) and while some mobile networks have asked for a Tizen phone, Huawei ”feel Tizen has no chance to be successful. Even for Windows Phone it’s difficult to be successful.”

The key quote from Yu, and the key quote that defines the smartphone market for the next year or two, is this:

We have no plans to build our own OS. It’s easy to design a new OS, but the problem is building the ecosystem around it.

Windows Phone is a competent mobile operating system. Technically it does everything you need a smartphone to do. It has a certain way of handling UI issues, and the first-party applications cover the majority of functions that a user would need. While we’re still waiting to see Tizen handsets available to consumers, there are other alternative mobile operating systems which are all competent and up to the basic task of being a smartphone.

I’ve looked at quite a few of these platforms here on Forbes, including BlackBerry’s BB10, Mozilla’s Firefox OS, and Jolla’s Sailfish OS. All of them perform well, they do the job, and they all have the ability to load and run third-party software if you want to expand the functionality of the handset.

And there is the issue. Or at least the issue for the smaller OS manufacturers. The value placed on third-party apps is astonishing. Yes, the geekerati who want to squeeze every little drop of power and flexibility from their handset are aware of apps, but so is the typical man or woman on the street. Smartphones are App-phones – without the apps, you don’t have a phone.

From the social groups in Primary Schools, Elementary Classes, and beyond, a phone’s worth is defined not by the smartness of the operating system, but by the platform and the applications it offers.

Any new OS launching in the current climate has to address the app question to have even a chance at minor recognition on the high street. Currently the larger developer communities only work with iOS and Android. Bringing any notable volume of them over to a new platform is a Herculean task.

There will always be people who are looking for something a little bit different, but consider this. If the might of Microsoft could not attract passionate developers to the Windows Phone platform in any great numbers, then what hope do smaller manufacturers have to build up any momentum of applications?

This is why many of the ‘new’ mobile operating systems are subservient to the elephant in the room of Android. It’s why BlackBerry pushed the Android compatibility of BB10; it’s why Tizen pushes the Android Compatibility Layer in its software stack; it’s why Jolla has continued with efforts to support Android apps running on top of Sailfish OS and have them feel like a native app as much as possible.

When you look at the continued success of Android and iOS, the army of developers provides many wins for the platforms. They publish the apps that make the handsets more attractive. They provide services that lock customers in. And by the sheer volume of developers, and a natural resistance to switching development platforms, the two leading mobile operating systems have created a moat around one of their most valuable resources to stop other platforms building any significant mainstream momentum

It is not about being the ‘best’ mobile operating system, the fastest, or having the most handsets on the latest version. It is about the happily conscripted developers that will hold the line for each platform against any new entrant into the market. Google and Apple have built twin rings of digital steel around their platforms in the mobile space, and there is no way for the opposition to out-flank the incumbents.

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Any business model can be replicated, however sophisticated but how do you build a sustainable competitive advantage even with the risk of your model being replicated. You build assets, infrastructure and an ecosystem that makes it hard for any other party to replicate. In this case, the community of developers for IOS and Android is a great shield for the two companies

As a developer it is rather simple to convince me to go to a new platform. a) make it easy to develope like ios. Developing for ios is a no brainer, it is fast, it is cheap and the sdk/buildtools are really reliable b) be the biggest os proider like android … then you can even live with shitty sdk, devtools extreme fragmentation … at least as a second option c) make it easy for me to earn money. Provide tools to automatically get my code working on your platform. Provide marketing incentives for indies, give high royalties at the beginning, try to talk to the devs … not only the big ones, even the small ones.

In reality … no one will match so soon the dev friendliness of ios. Especially with swift. Even microsoft who has also very good tools is a tad behind because the sdk is more cumbersome than the ios sdk. Android … well i really doubt that their shitty sdk will be better in any foreseeable future. Google can’t write good software.

b) Market share … well will not change unless the ecosystem changes so ignore it

c) pay developers, help developers. You need a lot of money to do this. Microsoft is doing it … and it helps. They pay you literally to port your application to winphone. So no cost, but an additional store ? Sure every developer will do that.

developers go not where tools are but money. apple’s tools are ok, they are very behind the times for enterprise development but for cutsie local apps they are ok. nothing special. What got apple traction was marketshare…which is nosediving with android about to control 90%+. While in the US the trend is more even, android wins in the long term unless apple does something different. More and more developers as thus going android and google will keep investing in the tools. Ultimately the huge market that is android will win. Apple is good at disruption with Jobs ain’t around so all apple can do is make do with what it has: a declining platform.

I have no idea how good Apple’s tools are, having never developed for Macs or iOS. Maybe it’s the best thing next to sliced bread. But if you think Android dev tools are shitty, then you are precisely the kind of developer that should stay away from writing Android apps. You are going to be disappointed. The Android emulator is awful, But one you use HAXM or Genymotion, Android development tools are great. It may be easier to initially drag and drop your widgets onto a canvas. But once you are creating Activities for multiple screens and layouts, it’s a darn sight easier working with XML. It’s this same ease which makes developing for multiple devices so easy (and why Android fragmentation for developers is just so much nonsense).

nothing lasts forever. the moment you argue ecosystem lockup or developer mindset defends it the moment you’re saying we’re ready for the next disruptive technology to arrive. we said these things about the windows ecosystem for PCs. smart phones are not the tech pinacle and iOS and Android won’t dominate unchallenged forever. we’re already seeing china, the biggest connected nation on earth flush out iOS and Android from their planned tech evolution and we may very well see a decline in western OS vendors to give raise to OEMs in asia and their respective countries calling the shots. Even if all 300 million people, this includes people who can’t even use a phone, in the US got an iphone today, this is nothing compared to the 5+billion people remaining.

iOS and Android have a day in the sun, just as windows did. And just as windows did, it will only last so long :)

You are quite right that the apps are perhaps the most important factor for OS But I think you put aside another important factor, although more philanthropic.

Windows Phone has no reason to be more than making money, does not have a call to action or a mission that excites the world.

IOS: The paradigm shift in mobile telephony and visually appealing and behind him, a born leader like Steve Jobs.

Android: Its purpose is to be the counterpart of IOS and people understand it well, is to take the opponent or have a valid alternative.

Windows Phone: No reason to be, that being the third mobile OS is not a mission.

Tizen: No reason.

SAILFISH OS: Born from the ashes of what promised to be the real Iphone Killer, has a mission to change the course of mobile telephony and once again put the user as paramount. You are creating a movement and have a mission to love people because they are truly different. Not in a year will sell 64 million smartphone but do not need to.